W/O George Henry Moon - detachments to R.A.F. Capel le Ferne?

[wwrsimon]

Hello everyone

One of my local airmen, W/O George Henry Moon, was a Special Operator with 192 Sqn, and according to the 192 Sqn ORB Form 540 on February 27th 1944 he and five other members of the Squadron were 'detached to R.A.F. CAPEL LE FERNE.'

Moon had been posted in to 192 on February 9th 1944 from 515 Squadron.

The March 1944 ORB F.540 has two similar detachments of personnel, each for a week at Capel le Ferne.

I didn't know there was an R.A.F Capel le Ferne - not much on the internet apart from there being a gun battery there, and obviously lots about the Battle of Britain Memorial unveiled in 1993.

So, what was there that might explain why were they sent there?

Regards

Simon

[vrajm]

Hi Simon,

Airship station, previously RNAS Capel-le-Ferne. Site used for a wireless station during WWII

https://www.ukairfieldguide.net/airf...Capel-le-Ferne

https://www.ukairfieldguide.net/airf...Capel-le-Ferne

Regards

Mojmir

[Resmoroh]

Hello All,

Abbots Cliff House (in the Folkestone area) - holiday accommodation, used by officers during World War One, also by Government Code & Cypher School when airfield employed as a wireless monitoring station in World War Two.
(https://abct.org.uk/airfields/airfie...el-folkestone/)

Within walking distance of RAF Hawkinge, although Malcolm’s RAFWEB makes no mention of Capel le Ferne being connected to, or an outstation of, that Station. One of the famous concrete Sound Mirrors is located there.
We are, I think, clearly, in “spook” territory? Say no more!

HTH
Peter Davies

[wwrsimon]

Thank you Peter and Mojmir

Definitely sounds very 'spooky' to me!

Moon had flown some 35 Ops on Defiants with 515 Sqn as an air gunner after being posted from 22 O.T.U. in June 1942. So presumably he was there from the start while they working up as a Special Duties unit. The 515 Sqn ORB Form 541 repeatedly records after the Ops "Flight carried out under No. 11 Group’s instructions, to whom please refer for details. Reference their Most Secret File Ref. 11G/S/600/2."

He already had some Ops under his belt on Wellingtons with 22 O.T.U. before that:

http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.u...n_of_22otu.htm

After 515 Squadron went to 192 Squadron to work as a Special Operator on Halifaxes.

He was there from February 1944 until August 1944, when he was sent to Brackla in Nairn. To an O.R.B. maybe?

He was awarded the D.F.C. in October 1944, which was reported in the Hartlepool Mail of October 17th 1944:

D.F.C. AWARD
West Hartlepool Pilot Officer
It is announced to-day that Pilot Officer George Henry Moon, of 1 Challoner Square, West Hartlepool, has been awarded the D.F.C. Aged 25, and the only son of Mr. and Mrs. George Moon, of 19 Eton Street, West Hartlepool, P/O Moon joined the R.A.F.V.R. some time before the war, and is at present home on leave after completing his third tour of operations as a wireless operator-air gunner. P/O Moon was educated at Elwick Road Central School, and before joining the Air Force was employed by the South Durham Steel and Iron Co., Ltd. In his three tours of operations, two with Bomber and one with Fighter Command, P/O Moon has flown on some 95 operations, including the Battle of Britain.

Regards

Simon